Juan Lagares went 2 for 3 with a triple, RBI and a run scored for the St. Lucie Mets tonight in his first rehab game as he looks to come back from a left oblique strain.

Lagares played five defense innings in center field. The Mets are hoping he will be able to return this weekend against the Miami Marlins.

Original Report – April 10, 5 PM

Juan Lagares will play his first minor league rehab games today and Wednesday, Terry Collins told reporters this afternoon. The team is aiming to have Lagares back for the weekend series in Miami.

Lagares is recovering from a left oblique strain that he suffered on March 25 in a spring training game and hasn’t seen action at any level since.

When Lagares joins the team, assuming no other outfield injuries, it may mean a demotion for Michael Conforto, who got his first start of the year last night, going 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk.

Lagares, 28, hit .239/.301/.380 last year in 79 games but is on a major league contract, while Conforto still has options remaining. Conforto batted .220/.310/.414 in 348 trips to the plate last season.

Connor O’Brien is a third-year economics student at Rutgers University, a longtime writer here at MetsMerized Online, and an aspiring economist. He embraces sabermetrics but also highly values scouting. Follow him on Twitter at cojobrien.